Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • In Chicago, Police Violence Survivors Heal Through Song

    Communal healing represents reparations in action. The Chicago Torture Justice Center, created in 2015 through a Chicago City Council reparations ordinance, advocates for wrongfully imprisoned Black men, as well as for victims of violence and torture at the hands of police. At the community center, area nonprofits like the Old Town School of Folk Music, lead workshops like the Freedom Songbook. The program uses protest songs as a way to encourage resiliency and healing in survivors.

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  • Healthy communities: What is 'social prescribing'?

    Social prescribing, where medical practitioners encourage patients to look beyond medicine to remedy their issues, can lessen the demand for medical services and medications. In the UK, Denmark, and Canada, doctors are piloting programs in which healthcare providers can recommend community and social activities to patients. In Canada, for example, the Alliance for Healthier Communities is integrating activities like knitting at its community centers. In Denmark, doctors can present cultural activities to patients suffering from moderate depression.

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  • Meet the Young Activists Fighting Chicago's Gun Violence, With Lobbying and Group Hugs

    GoodKids MadCity, an anti-gun violence group that is led by black and brown youth in Chicago is working to create a safer community. Members, most of whom have been directly impacted by gun violence, work together to address the systemic drivers of gun violence in their city, including poverty, trauma, and lack of safe spaces. They do so by creating a community for themselves and by engaging politically – pushing local lawmakers to address the systemic drivers they’ve identified.

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  • In South Africa, a Call to Punish Rapists

    In Diepsloot, South Africa, a small office called Lawyers Against Abuse offers legal support for sexual assault cases in a violent city that traditionally does little to address the issue. The organization offers lawyers, victim advocates, legal counseling, and therapy as they go through the process. Since 2015, they have helped more than 800 women and secured 28 convictions.

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  • Reimagining New York Jails Without Solitary Confinement

    Solitary confinement was once thought of as one of the only effective punishments for violent prison inmates. As more research surfaces showing the severe damage it does to mental health, the racial bias of those placed in solitary, and its relative ineffectiveness, more cities, like New York City, are exploring alternatives to the practice. In places such as Denver, Chicago, and San Francisco, rather than invoking a punitive approach, city officials are offering positive reinforcement – and seeing positive results.

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  • The Biggest Police Department In The US Has A Suicide Crisis. Another Department Thinks They Have An Answer.

    California’s Los Angeles Police Department has built mental health into its force. The department has 16 psychologists on staff, offering free counseling and debrief sessions after traumatic incidents. As the New York Police Department faces an increase in officer suicides, it looks to the LAPD as it rolls out its new suicide prevention initiatives, like a mental health app, mental health insurance, and access to counseling.

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  • Can hip hop heal trauma?

    When paired with evidence-based intervention methods, hip hop therapy is gaining ground as a means of increasing the odds that the intervention will work. Although further studies are needed to prove the effectiveness of this approach on its own, social workers and clinical psychologists are implementing it on small scales throughout various practices.

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  • Filling hospitals with art reduces patient stress, anxiety and pain

    Environments designed with soundscapes and visual art help to reduce anxiety and pain. In London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has noted a marked improvement in patient experience, including decreased pain and even a reduction in the time women spent in labor, in the presence of artistic installations. Other hospitals in the UK report similar benefits.

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  • Depressed? Here's a Bench. Talk to Me. Audio icon

    Sometimes just having someone to talk to can help those who are suffering from depression. The Friendship Bench program in NYC borrows an idea from Harare, Zimbabwe, where healthcare workers—affectionately called Grannies—sit and consult with patients on benches outside of healthcare clinics. The Grannies help people discuss their issues and have had a measurably positive impact on those they’ve reached. In New York, the Friendship Benches connect individuals to peer mentors willing to listen across the city.

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  • How a Customized Approach Can Cut Suicide Risk

    Individuals at a high risk of suicide can benefit from targeted, accessible, and client-centered care. As part of a new mental health initiative, the Czech government is funding mental health centers for patients at high risk of suicide. The target prevention includes care teams consisting of psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers, all involved in different aspects of the client’s care.

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